Where Streets End And Start Anew
by A MNE POHUI
Summary: Maj. Erwin Schülz, Fallshirmjäger. A soldier that has been reassigned to many units, from Normandy, to Italy, Crete, Russia, the Seelow Heights, and Berlin. He now lays at Eden Prime, the start of his road to Valhalla
1. Prologue

**AN: Alright, well this is my first time writing a ME fanfic. Just finished ME3. Wanted more but eh. Hope this fanfic of mine will be good, I'm still learning not just how to grammar but also how to time management. Srsly I am procrastinator to the core. Any ways 'ere you go**

 **Reichstag, Berlin. 1945**

Berlin is burning. The Third Reich has fallen. The fuhrer and many remaining leaders are hiding under the Führerbunker. Just days ago I helped civilians and soldiers to get out of here and join General Wenck, I should've join them but... I have a duty and oath to Germany, I must fight for whatever what's left of this burning city.

After I helped saving those civilians I managed to go back to the Reichstag safely. I joined up with the remaining SS soldiers and defend the Reichstag to the bitter end. The Russians have managed to enter the Reichstag and took out the SS guards there. Then waves upon waves of Russian soldiers entered the building and rushed the stairs leading to where the Parliament always meet and where Hitler makes his speeches, or in other words my position. And here I am with my _Sturmgewehr_ , me and the SS guards aimed.. and opened fire.

We unleashed hell on the charging Russians, the stairs became their death. We waited for another attack, and it came, and again we unleashed hell, and again the stairs became the graves of many Russians. We lobbed grenades to the stairs to push any remaining Russians out of the stairs. This gave them time to regroup and rethink, and this gave us time to catch our breath. Our munitions are running low, most of the grenades were used up, we are outnumbered, and our spirits are low, the only thing that is keeping us in the fight is survival. We heard many stories about how the Russians treat German prisoners, it's not pretty. We are surrounded, chances of fleeing is non-existant, just like what they say "Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight".

After a minute of rest, a familiar shout is heard throughout the building, the Russians are attacking. Losing hope to survive, losing faith, I say to my comrades "Men!, we have heard their treatment to our captured comrades. I will not elaborate it, we all know what will come to us when they capture us. We will not survive to tell tales to what happened here. We will die!. And if we all die, we must take the enemy with us!. For every comrade that died here, we will kill 10 of them. For every loved one that they took from us, we will kill 20 of them. And for every inch of every step they will take beyond those stairs we will kill 30 of them!. Auf Wiedersehen Kameraden, wir sehen uns in Walhalla!"

They did not shout, nor did they cower, they nodded in agreement. Every single one of them know that they will die in this last stand of ours, but knowing that they fought against the enemy that took everything away from their young lives, their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends. Knowing that they fought back against them, is good enough for them not to cower in front of the enemy. And here it comes, with the clap of loud thunder, comes the devastating lighting.

The Russians attacked, with more men than last time. Their numbers overpowered us and managed to suppress us, but not taking out a lot of them. While we were suppressed the Russians flooded the stairs leading to the second floor, overlooking us. I ordered some of my men to shift their fire on the second floor, though my men managed to take out some Russians they still took the second floor and opened fire on our position

"Granate aus!" several of my men shouted. They lobbed grenades to prevent the Russians firing on us. It was useless, only some were thrown, many of the ones tried to lob a grenade were shot, and those that made it to the second floor only inflicted minimal damage to enemy. But still not completely useless, the Russians on the second floor halted their fire for a few seconds.

We are getting overpowered, we are about to get overrun. We will fall but not without taking the Russians with us, I got out of my cover and fired my StG. I killed several Russians, and I did not got shot, wonderful.

But even if I do that hundred more times, it will not matter, for every Russian I kill, 10 more will replace him, how are we suppose to beat an enemy like that. And so that battle goes on for seconds, to minutes, and to a miraculous hour, where I am the only one left. Looking at their eyes I see fear, me and my men held out for an hour, we killed and held off waves of Russian attacks, and I am still standing. But in those eyes I also see anger, like the ones I saw in many of my comrades' eyes during this battle. The Reich, we invaded, and killed, we raped, and plundered, now they are doing the same to us.

I still remember Crete, I partook in the mass murder in Kondomari. No, no. That's not my fault, that's the High Commands fault. I am merely a soldier, a tool for their actions. I looked at the Russian's eyes again, and I saw and remembered the civilians I killed in Russia. The men, women, and... children that I murdered. Their eyes, all of them, their faces, all dark, I see a wall of them, a wall full of faces. And in front was a hooded man, with dark red eyes, holding scythe. I tremble in front of him, I looked around my surroundings... I am still at the Reichstag. And there they are, the Russians aiming their weapons at me, and a familiar sound echoes throughout the destroyed building. I see smoke from the barrels of their rifles. Next I again saw the wall of faces, with the hooded man looking at me as if he is staring in my soul. "Valhalla ist nicht für dich mein Freund"


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: I know nothing of German drill commands so I am just using Google Translate for the commands, and I am not even sure these area actually commands, I am just basing it off a movie. And my Norse mythology is... I haven't read much about it, so.. yeah**

 **Eden Prime, 2183, Geth Invasion**

 _Ughh.. Gottverdammt... ugh, that fucking hurts_. I tried to look around to see my surroundings, the last thing I remember is lying on the Reichstag and some hooded man, probably the Grim Reaper. Now where was I, oh yes, my surroundings. From what I can feel from my arsch, I lying on some metal of some sorts and its cold as hell. And if my blurry eyes are correct, there is stone and a red sky. Stone is very much available in Berlin due to the destroyed buildings, but the stone are natural, they are rock formations.

I laid on back on the metal floor, after a few seconds of 'sleep', my vision becomes clear again. I looked to my left and saw a blue bag, I opened the zipper and saw my... is that my rifle, and.. isn't that my old uniform. Gottverdammt, I thought I lost this rifle, my old Karabiner. Ah, the memories, Eban-Emael, Krete, I abandoned this old girl during Krete and I was stuck with my pistol...

..

..

..

..

..No, this no time for a flashback.

I turned around and saw a platform of some sorts, it has... white boxes, I think those are crates, and I see a tall metal doll, it reminds me of Eric and his brother George when they toured around the world, and especially Elektro, ah, I still remembered the day when I begged my parents for money to go to Amerika just to see the World Fair in New York. But these robots are slimmer, more human like, well aside from it's legs and its guns its a great looking robot... Wait, guns?

The robots looked to me and opened fire, I swiftly took the bag and went for cover behind a rock. I'm rummaging the bag for my weapons, now that I think about it this bag is too small for guns and uniforms, how does it fit all of this stuff. Anyways, I brought out my Karabiner and my lovely _Sturmgewehr_... no bad Erwin, stop staring more shooting.

I grabbed my Karabiner 98 and looked to see the enemy's position, and I found it, the robot is behind a crate. Hmm, those headlights, why do they have it, is it it's eyes or is it-. A bullet went flying towards me, luckily I quickly get back to cover and I have to say, **HOLY SHIIT THAT WAS CLOSE**.. Now let's start shooting

I got out of cover and immediately aimed at the robot. I fired at it and it's headlights are no longer there. I moved up and saw 3 more of these robots, they are suppressing me, but one of the robot got out of cover and pushed to my position, Was für ein verdammter Idiot, I guess with all their human like movements, they're still dumb as a rock. I fired at it thrice and it fell, I moved up again and the other two are doing the same thing as the other one, whatever I'll take free kills.

I went back to where I left my bag, changed my clothes from a tattered uniform to a new one with a camouflaged over-jacket. I put the Karabiner back into the bag and brought out my Sturmgewehr. I walked in the opposite direction of that platform, hopefully there's a person here that I can talk to, explain what the fuck is going on.

 _ **It seems you are safe during the transfer**_

"Who's there?!, come out with your hands up" I said while taking cover. There have been situations like these, after a firefight there will be another squad you have to face, that or it's just a civilian.

 _ **YOU DARE SHOUT AT THE RULER OF VALHALLA**_

A hooded man then appeared out of thin air, he, or it, was tall, taller than a tree. He looked down at me with his big red eyes. I laid down in horror as he held up his scythe and was about to strike me..

 _ **Stop, I will handle this**_

Then just like the hooded man, another appeared out of thin air, only this time it is an old man. A one-eyed, long bearded, wearing a cloak and broad hat, and wielding a spear. Just like...

Odin.

 **Erwin, a warrior of the successor of a failed nation. A member of an old, noble bloodline. Fought stone fortresses in the west, and the snowy tundras in east. A fierce warrior and a great leader. But along his way he killed innocents, innocents suspected as the enemy, he once ordered to burn down a village. He went and repeated that same order in the snowy hell of the east.**

"Wh...what?, h-how do y-you know that, n-no that was high command, not me, th-they took a lot of my men!, it is only right that they-

* * *

 **Kondomari, Crete. June 2, 1941**

Another day in Crete, and another comrade killed. Even after the bloody battle, the Cretan civilians were picking off our men with knives, axes, and scythes. Fucking hell, these civilians should just stay at their homes, not at a battle, only professional soldiers are allowed to fight.

Just yesterday three of my men were missing, it didn't take too long to find them dead near Kondomari. Even if from birth I am thought to restrain myself, there is a line, and this is it. These civilians already took too many of my men, other platoons are saying their men have been tortured and mutilated. We needed to take action, and high command finally gave us the order. General Student initiated counter-insurgency throughout the island, just a while ago he gave us order to take reprisal against the villagers.

And now me, four lorries of Fallshirmjäger of the 3rd Battalion, surrounded the village of Kondomari. The plan is simple gather the villagers in the village square, release a few and the Hauptmann will handle the rest.

The Hauptmann, Hauptmann Horst, got out of his truck with his improvised loudspeaker, he walked up to the entrance of the village.

"People of Kondomari, yesterday three of my men were found dead near your village!, under orders of General Student, **ALL** villagers are to be gathered at the village square. Failure to do so will meet consequences"

The Hauptmann's words gained mumblings from the villagers, some went to the village square, some went for their homes, picking up their weapons probably, and some just stood there. The Hauptmann then walked up to me " _Oberleutenant_ , you know what to do, these fuckers think they can kill our men without reprisal, show these people why we are not to be fucked with" he said. I just nodded and got out of my truck and signaled my men to move out.

"Men, gather the villagers to the village square, make sure every single villager are at the square, don't let them slip past you. Move!"

My men moved fast and swift, either due to their training and experience, or the want to revenge their comrade, it doesn't matter. Within minutes my men have gathered the villagers, there were some resistance like the father who grabbed his axe to attack my men, but he was immediately shot right in front of his wife and children.

After we gathered all the villagers, me, the Hauptmann, and the other squad leaders, walked up in front of the amassed villagers.

I pointed at the woman carrying her child "You!, yes you!, come here" I shouted at her. She then looked at me with despair-filled eyes.

"No!, please. I beg you, my child has no family left, please" she said.

"I SAID COME HERE NOW!" I shouted once again. She stood up while carrying her child and walked up to me with tears.

"Get back to your home" I said to her.

She proceeded to run off to where her home is with her child. And now, back to the rest of the villagers. The Hauptmann and I released the women and children, but for the men we picked from the villagers, well.. we gathered them near the olive groves.

We picked around 30 men with us and we had them lined up upon the olive groves. Even though he is the commanding officer, he had do the honours.

" **LINKS UM!** " My men complied to my command and turned left, where the villagers are

" **BEREIT!** " My men stood at attention

" **VORSTELLEN!** " My men aimed their weapons at the 30 men

" **FEUER!** " My men fired their rifles

30 men now laid on the grass, behind the olive groves. Now, the three men I lost from these villagers are now 'avenged', I think. Scheiße, this feeling... so different from killing an enemy, these are enemies, these villagers killed my men, but... why is the feeling so diferrent?

* * *

 **Eden Prime 2183, Geth Invasion**

"Wh-what happened, why did I..." I said then turned to look at two "You, was that your doing, why did I-"

 **Silence, Erwin, or do you want to remember Kandanos?**

"No.. don't.. please"

 **I though so. Now, back to the topic. I have reviewed your actions, Erwin, despite the atrocities you have done, you can still be admitted to Valhalla, be an Einhenjar**

"Wait.. what?, what are you talking about" I asked at the old man

 **I am Odin, warrior. And this hooded man is my agent. I oversee Valhalla, and therefore I have the right to reject warriors. I do not just blindly accept warriors the Valkyries give me. I have to judge them. Think of it like purgatory.**

"So.. the mythology is true.. and Valhalla"

 **Exists. Many warriors feast everyday on** **Sæhrímnir** **, and you can be with them too.**

"So... they're their too, father, brother, grandfather, Hans, Jurgen, and Heinrich?"

 **Your comrades, yes, Hans was like your case, he is a good warrior, and very intelligent. From his actions I almost rejected him, but I gave him a second chance and he proved himself.**

"They... they're there. I can still meet them, drink like old times" I can't believe it, I.. I can still meet them, I can apologize to father, drink with my grandfather and my comrades, friends, and finally get that 50 Reichsmarks Hans owes me

 **Yes you can Erwin, you can do the things you haven't done. But, just like Hans did, you must prove yourself**

"Prove myself, how?"

 **Ever wonder where you are, and who gave that bag with your belongings?**

"Actuallly yes, where am I, what are those robots?, they are very human like"

 **You are in... another universe**

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"What?"

 **You are in another universe. I'll explain it to you. I transported you into a parallel universe, a parallel universe is a self-contained reality co-existing with another. A group of these parallel universe is called a multiverse, and I can M** **eddle in these universes**

"Meddle, how?"

 **I use these universes to judge warriors whether they can enter Valhalla or not. I send them to a universe I choose, help them at the start like giving them weapons, and they must complete my objective, an objective I wont tell.**

"I suppose that applies to me as well"

 **Yes, I'll give you an explanation of where you are, what you are supposed to know. You are in a world called 'Mass Effect', as what people from the other universe call. The robots, you have fought with are called Geth, they are an artificial intelligence, basically very advanced robots that can think for themselves**

"Wait wait wait.. you're telling me that there are advanced robots that can think for themselves, and they have guns?!"

 **It's been 238 years after the war ended Erwin, of course that will exist. Getting back on the topic, you are on Eden Prime, a human colony, the geth are attacking it**

"Colony?, what like in Asia?, the last time I checked there isn't any colony called 'Eden Prime'"

 **Eden Prime is a colony in space, another world, this world is not Earth**

"So, I am in something like 'War of the Worlds?"

 **Yes**

"So... do I have to fight aliens?"

 **Yes**

"Wait, there are aliens?!"

 **Yes. There are around 11 species excluding the Geth. They are the Asari, Turian, Salarian, Volus, Hanar, Drell, Elcor, Batarian, Krogan, Quarian, and Vorcha. I'll summarize them for you, the Asari are the most human like alien, essentialy the Asari are a race of blue females with tentacles for hair, all Asari are biotics, meaning they are psychokinetic. The Turians are a birds with a humanoid body, they have an exoskeleton to protect them from their homeworld's sun, the Turians are militaristic and disciplined in nature, they have the biggest navy and army in the galaxy. The Salarians is basically a stereotypical alien, amphibian, they fast and they move fast, to them other races are sluggish and dull-witted, the Salarians has one of the most powerful intelligence network. These three races compose the Citadel Council,** **The Council is an executive committee composed of one representative each from the member species. Though they have no official power over the independent governments of other species, the Council's decisions carry great weight throughout the galaxy. No single Council race is strong enough to defy the others, and all have a vested interest in compromise and cooperation.**

"So wheres us, humans, what is our role in this galaxy?"

 **Humanity has established an embassy on the Citadel, for the past 2 decades the Systems Alliance, the face of humanity in the galaxy, has aggressively pushed to have humanity have more say in galactic politics.**

"And, what happened?"

 **Well, it's not going good, but its not going bad either, the current human ambassador, Donnel Udina, has continued his predecessor's goal to have a human Spectre.. and before you ask, a Spectre is an agent of the council, they have absolute power in the Citadel space, everything they touch is classified, and everything classified they can access. They are used by the Council to keep Galactic peace.**

"I guess there are Spectres that have abused their power, say going rouge?"

 **You'll find out soon. Anyways, your test.**

"So, what will I do to pass. And why can you not just bring me back to life?"

 **Hahahahahaha. Erwin first off, I cannot tell you your objective, remember?, and second, anyone who have died cannot be brought back to life, it is a law that even I can't brake. And what would you choose, a life of feasting on** **Sæhrímnir** **, drinking with you friends and family, or living under Soviet rule, your friends dead, the rest of your family dead, the city that was once the center of Germany, dead?**

"I get it, you made your point. Speaking of family, what happened to them.. in this universe?"

 **You died just like you did in our universe, half of your family is gone because of the war, but they survived. I will not tell you everything, the only thing you need to know is that they still exist.**

"Well learning about the fate of my remaining family would be great, but knowing that my family survived and the bloodline too, I guess thats good enough for me"

 **Erwin, I don't want you to travel around the galaxy like a headless chicken, so I'll give you a hint, find a Commander Shepard, convince her to have you join her**

"And then what?"

 **Thats all you need to know, goodbye Erwin, I hope you complete your objective. Auf Wiedersehen, wir sehen uns in Valhalla.**

"Wir sehen uns auch"


End file.
